Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

"A combination punch? Interesting."

He casually tossed the decree onto the table.

"They finally stopped pretending."

Lacey walked to the map, his gaze sweeping over the seven areas that were now connected to his own.

"Gertrude, relay my orders."

"exist."

"Notify the propaganda department to get all broadcasting and printing presses running tonight; we need to send a return gift."

"Inform Serafina to prepare for her mission. Our allies may be a little confused right now and need someone to reassure them."

"Notify Taylor to put the combat department on high alert. The guests are almost here, so we should prepare a welcoming ceremony."

He looked at Gertrude one last time.

"Also, have the intelligence department bring out that old forces blacklist we prepared beforehand."

"Her Majesty the Queen wants to help us start a fire, so let's take advantage of this wind and burn all the trash in the house in one go."

Seeing Lacey's composed demeanor, Gertrude's nervousness vanished.

She bowed and accepted the order, a smile appearing on her lips.

"Yes."

……

……

Far from being quiet under the cover of night, Eisenville is even more bustling than during the day.

The printing presses hummed through the night, packing and sending out thousands of leaflets with eye-catching headlines to every corner of Vaser territory and to all the allied regions.

On the radio, a joint statement issued by the Workers' Party Joint Committee and the Rupercan People's Provisional Parliament was being broadcast repeatedly.

Inside the throne room, Lacey's core team gathered together.

"...This so-called edict from Triinttelme is utterly rejected!"

On the radio, the best announcer selected by the propaganda department had a loud and infectious voice.

"We have reason to believe that the two empresses, who possess both benevolence and majesty, have been held hostage by the corrupt court aristocracy entrenched in the capital!"

"This edict is not Her Majesty the Empress's true will, but rather a counterattack and conspiracy by the old forces against the people's revolution!"

Taylor grinned upon hearing this. He glanced at Lacey, who was leisurely sipping her tea, and couldn't help but laugh, "Sir, that's quite a cunning move of yours."

“By directly portraying the Empress as a puppet controlled by someone, they won’t be able to clear their name even if they jump into the Rhine.”

Serafina's face showed worry: "Does doing this mean completely breaking ties with the royal family? After all, they are the nominal supreme rulers of Letania."

“Serafina,” Lacey put down her teacup and explained with a smile, “political struggles are often not about fighting for the facts, but for the right to interpret them.”

“They want to define us as traitors, so we have to interpret their actions as ‘being deceived by treacherous officials.’”

"In this way, the nature of the conflict changed from us opposing the imperial power to us helping the imperial power to purge the court of corrupt officials."

"We are not traitors, but loyal subjects."

He pointed to the location of Rubokan on the map: "The people of Rubokan overthrew the tyrannical Elak; this is the right of self-salvation granted to the people by the constitution of Letania."

"The Empress has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the electoral regions; this is written in the Golden Law."

"The very fact that they are issuing this decree proves that they are betraying the order they themselves established."

"And we are maintaining order."

His words enlightened everyone.

……

Holy Leitanian Empire: Chapter 76: Leitanian Economic Community

Countess Lenia, the newly appointed Minister of Economy, clapped her hands in admiration: "Brilliant! In this way, we occupy the moral high ground, and those wavering allies will feel more confident."

“That’s right.” Lacey nodded. “So, we need to be strategic in our response to that so-called summons.”

He looked at Gertrude: "Is the reply drafted?"

"Alright." Gertrude handed over a document.

"As you wish, we will reply in the name of the Vase Territory Council."

"First of all, we express our deep concern for Her Majesty the Queen's safety and strongly condemn those treacherous courtiers who have taken Her Majesty hostage."

"Secondly, we would like to state that due to the recent frequent military movements in the Heidenschwell and Oshdenheim regions and the tense situation on the border, in order to protect the territory of Letania from invasion, you, as the Elector of Vaser, cannot leave the territory."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh when they heard "defend the land of Letania".

This is tantamount to pointing fingers at Abraham and Hoffman and insulting them.

“Finally.” Gertrude’s smile grew increasingly playful.

"We have stated that, in order to communicate actively and eliminate misunderstandings, we will send a delegation led by the vice president of the 'Vassell Coachmen and Transport Industry Union' to Trilintelme."

"Give Her Majesty a detailed report on the transportation development of the Vase Territory and request Her Majesty to clarify the truth that it has been misled by treacherous officials."

Even the usually serious Taylor burst out laughing.

Sending a vice-chairman of the coachmen's guild to a central meeting that would decide the fate of the empire was not just a provocation, it was an insult.

One can imagine how unpleasant the faces of the court nobles must have been when the delegation arrived in Trinity.

“Very good, send it out like that.” Lacey nodded in satisfaction.

"Let them communicate with our coachman representatives indefinitely."

Having dealt with the external propaganda war and political maneuvering, Lacey turned her attention inward.

"Gertrude, how's the other matter going?"

Gertrude's expression immediately turned serious, and she pulled another list from the folder.

"As you expected, our backyard is indeed not so peaceful."

"As soon as the royal decree of stripping was issued, some rats couldn't hold back any longer."

"Based on reports from the intelligence department and various locations, we have identified thirty-seven individuals who have exhibited unusual activity."

She began reading out names: "Jeremy Richter, former president of the Westford Chamber of Commerce, immediately contacted his old connections in the capital after the decree was issued and attempted to rally several businessmen who had paid special contributions to plan a joint resistance against our new tax law."

"And over in Rupercan, some distant relatives of the former Elector Elector Alak are spreading rumors in the countryside that the Workers' Party wants to confiscate everyone's land and is trying to organize people to sabotage the road we are building."

"The most dangerous place is in Eisenville. We have discovered a lurking old noble salon that has acquired a batch of military crossbows and seems to be plotting an assassination against you or other key members."

Taylor slammed his fist on the table, making a dull thud.

"These traitorous scumbags! Sir, give me a team, and I guarantee I'll find them all within three days and hang them in the square!"

“No!” Serafina immediately objected.

"The situation is sensitive right now. Large-scale arrests and executions will only create panic and play right into the enemy's hands."

"They'd love for us to be thrown into chaos."

"What should we do then? Are we just going to let these venomous snakes bite us from behind?" Taylor's face turned red.

All eyes were on Lacey.

Lacey remained silent for a moment.

He did not give the order immediately, but weighed the pros and cons.

He needs to turn this crisis into an opportunity to strengthen his rule and unite the people.

"The venomous snakes must be eliminated, but we cannot simply and crudely carry out a large-scale purge."

He stood up and walked to the middle of the crowd.

"Therefore, we must use the people's methods to deal with the people's enemies."

He looked at Gertrude: "Compile all the evidence into a book and proclaim it to the world."

“We want all the people of Vaser and Ruperkan to see clearly who is stabbing them in the back while they are working hard to build their new home, trying to send them back to the days of oppression they once knew.”

Then he turned to Taylor: "The combat department, in coordination with the guards, shall act immediately and arrest all the ringleaders on the list."

"But remember, it's not a secret arrest, it's a public arrest."

Finally, he said, "Open a special court, conduct a public trial, and let everyone come and see how these remnants of the old era betrayed the people."

“As for their crimes,” Lacey’s tone turned icy.

"Anyone involved in conspiracy, rebellion, or attempt to subvert the people's regime shall be designated as an enemy of the people."

"Anyone who plots assassination or endangers public safety will be severely punished without exception."

He paused, then added, "But the trial process must be complete, the evidence must be conclusive, and everyone must be convinced."

“We are not thugs; we represent a new order and justice.”

A vigorous campaign to "eliminate the remnants of the old forces" was launched with overwhelming force under the direction of Lacey.

The newspapers and radio stations controlled by the Workers' Party published extensive reports on the crimes of these enemies of the people, arousing great indignation among the public.

The public arrests were more like a series of street dramas.

When Jeremy Richter was dragged out of his luxurious mansion, the crowd of onlookers erupted in deafening cheers.

When the old nobles who had attempted to cause trouble in Rupercan were found in the cellars, the local farmers spontaneously offered eggs and bread to the guards.

The flames the Queen attempted to ignite from within not only failed to reach Lacey, but were instead drawn to him, burning all the rubbish and poisonous weeds hidden in the corner to ashes.

Those centrists who had previously harbored doubts about the Workers' Party completely sided with Lacey after witnessing the old forces' despicable tactics.

Within a week, the territory of Vaser and Ruperkan was completely purged. Instead of being weakened, Lacey's control was strengthened to an unprecedented degree by the suppression of the rebellion.

Inside the throne room, Gertrude reported the final results to Lacey.

"...Jeremy Richter and two other principal offenders were tried by a special court and sentenced to life imprisonment for labor reform, and all their illegal gains were confiscated."

"...The remaining accomplices were sentenced to different lengths of labor reform according to the severity of their crimes."

"Everything went smoothly."

Lacey nodded, then looked out the window again.

“Gertrud,” he began, “inform Mecklen, Werner, and the other two, Ziegler.”

"Tell them that I am prepared to hold the first special summit of the 'Leytania Economic Community' in Essenwild."

"It is time for our allies to make a real choice."

……

Holy Lytania Empire: Chapter 77: Two against seven, is the advantage in my hands?

The third workers' canteen in Essenwild was temporarily converted into a meeting room.

The wall was adorned with a banner that read "Labor is the most glorious," but the dining table was covered with a pristine white tablecloth and set with exquisite silver cutlery.

Mecklen Neham, the incredibly wealthy Elector, picked up a corner of the tablecloth with his fingers, a strange expression on his face.

"Your Excellency Lacey, you certainly know how to choose a location. This is the first time in my life that I've discussed a business deal worth hundreds of millions of gold coins in the workers' canteen."

His words were somewhat sarcastic, but his eyes kept scanning his surroundings.

Besides him, those present included a solemn-faced Werner von Hochberg, and restless Ziegler, Gabriel, and Alfred.

All five electors had come to this special summit after receiving an invitation from Lacey.

Lacey rose from his seat, wearing a simple Workers' Party cadre uniform.

"Gentlemen, we have invited you here not to humiliate anyone, but to let you see for yourselves what the future we are fighting for really looks like."

He pointed out the window.

"This place was a slum a year ago."

"Now, every worker eating here creates far more value than any serf in the old days."

“If they are well-fed and well-clothed, they will buy grain from Kepranya, cloth from the territory of Ziegler, and tools from the territory of Shiton.”

"This is the foundation of our business!"